When some folks think about Mass. Ave. in Boston, the first image that comes to mind is the horror of drug addiction and homelessness of Mass. and Cass.
That’s not exactly fair to the long, diverse avenue that runs for 16 miles from Dorchester to Lexington.
With little fanfare, the Boston section of Mass. Ave has recently improved.
Take a visual tour of this three-mile-long main artery of the city and see a Mass. Ave. that is cleaner and more welcoming now. It’s actually pretty amazing.
Professionals and blue-collar workers alike are watching the sunset from roof decks at Dorchester Brewing Company near Edward Everett Square, where Massachusetts Avenue begins. There are spectacular views of sailboats on the other end, as Mass. Ave spans the Charles River across the Harvard Bridge into Cambridge.
The journey is a visual smorgasbord of life, as vibrant as any avenue in the Commonwealth. Nearby is the Christian Science Plaza , known for its domed church, and Matthews Arena, the oldest functioning indoor sports arena (which is set to be replaced). There’s also Northeastern University, Berklee College of Music, and Newbury Street.
It’s a microcosm of life.
Everything good and bad in society can be found along this stretch. The crisis at Mass. and Cass still continues with open drug use and homelessness, although the tent encampments are long removed. Comparing to the same time last year, violent crime in the Mass. and Cass area has decreased 26 percent, according to Boston police. However, the statistic remains a black eye to the namesake of the Commonwealth.
“We used to go through Mass. and Cass, and it was pretty eye-opening. There was a lot more traffic of users up and down these streets when I first started four and a half years ago,” says Steve Walton, assistant manager of the Dorchester Brewing Company. But it is far better than it was, he says.
“Because Dorchester is such a melting pot of cultures, we try and embrace diversity. Latino, Chinese, Vietnamese. It’s a very unique mixture of people,” says Walton, pouring a fresh batch of Pumpkin Spice Ale. “We understand the purpose we have to Dorchester of being a place for all people, whether you’re black, white, gay, or transgender.”
Let’s celebrate the positive for a change. People-watching doesn’t get much better than along the avenue. It is jam-packed with spark. World-class health workers, musicians, and artists mix with folks down on their luck. It’s not trendy like Newbury Street. It’s the real world. One thing it isn’t, is boring.
Some of the improvements here came from out of thin air. Literally.
The new Lyrik Back Bay, built with air rights over the Mass. Pike, extends Newbury Street across Mass. Ave. The newly opened 15-story citizenM hotel has a second-floor terrace with comfy couches to enjoy views of the cityscape and sunsets over the Pike.
Restaurants and coffee and tea houses are coming soon. The title of the complex is a tip of the cap to both the nearby Symphony Hall and Berklee School of Music.
Amani Cain, a junior at Berklee, says Mass. Ave. is very welcoming.
As classes spill out into the late-afternoon sunshine and laughter fills the air, it feels like a block party.
“I feel very safe,” she says.
She’s way too young to know Willie Alexander & the Boom Boom Band’s punk rock ‘70s anthem “Mass. Ave.” with the verse:
“In the bars all night/ In the morning such a fright/ On Mass. Ave.”
“I’m surrounded by my peers,” she says. " It’s great energy, right? Yeah, it’s just like a success pool full of amazing and talented people. I mean, these people, next to me. They’re all [expletive] talented.”
She says she is getting a world-class education on Mass. Ave.
“I go to class with people from Greece and Venezuela. All these people are right here. They’re all walking out of class right now, and everybody is from everywhere in the world.”
Stan Grossfeld can be reached at stanley.grossfeld@globe.com.